Daniel Jimenez Gil ’24, a civil engineering major, returned to C.H. Nickerson & Company, Inc., this summer for a second internship. C.H. Nickerson specializes in the construction of water treatment facilities. He says he has been exposed to important practical knowledge of wastewater treatment and water resources.
Jimenez Gil first interned with the company this past winter where he performed takeoffs, developed drawing markups, and documented a new organized process to increase work productivity and ease document accessibility in the field as well as the office.
As an assistant project engineer this summer, Jimenez Gil’s day-to-day responsibilities consist of completing tasks to help the project manager and project engineer with coordinating the daily function of the construction site. Some of these tasks include material takeoffs, submitting and reviewing equipment and installation submittals, identifying and submitting requests for information, reviewing layout drawings before sending out piping purchase orders, contacting vendors and performing price analyses on material buyouts, compiling information packages for the field, along with other smaller day-to-day tasks.
When asked how UHart has prepared him for this internship, Jimenez Gil says participating in the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture (CETA) Design Expo at the end of his first semester was one of the most valuable experiences he has had thus far. “The assigned project for the Expo taught me valuable lessons on coordinating, scheduling, researching, team communication, and work ethic,” he says. “I think one of the strongest impressions I made during my interview for this company was when I explained how my team coordinated our CETA Design Expo project. It was done in a smart and efficient way that is encountered in nearly every professional setting; that is, maintaining communication, scheduling meetings, researching from trustworthy documents and helping prioritize tasks based on the projected schedule.”
Jimenez Gil also says UHart offered him many leadership and networking opportunities to practice his professional skills. In particular, as a member of many CETA clubs, he has had the chance to attend many events with professional engineers and learn from them, especially the way they present themselves.
Daniel Jimenez Gil ’24, civil engineeringThere are an incredible number of resources provided in CETA that nicely complement what career services and LinkedIn offer. For example, I attended at least four different resume workshops just in the fall semester, interacted with professional engineers during game nights, worked with professional engineers affiliated with Engineers Without Borders, and even found the job opening for this internship and others through CETA’s weekly e-newsletter for current students.
When asked why he is pursuing civil engineering, Jimenez Gil says he believes it is one of the most important professions when it comes to the general well-being of a population. “It has a very broad field of practice that covers transportation, structural design, environmental engineering, and construction management,” he says. “Therefore, you have many paths you can take once you graduate as a civil engineering major.”
Jimenez Gil chose UHart because of its small student-to-professor ratio. He says here at UHart, your professors know you by name and are willing to help you one on one. “This helps students stand out if they put in the work and land unique opportunities much more efficiently compared to a larger school where getting a research or internship opportunity would require a spotlight that may take years to reach,” he says. “You will benefit from the career-building experience at a small school that invests so much in its students’ success, like UHart.”
Professor of Civil Engineering Clara Fang is one of the many faculty members who have helped him along the way. He has been working with her on a research project performing data analysis of the State of Connecticut’s Department of Transportation bridge data. “Dr. Fang offered me some great hands-on experience related to transportation engineering,” he says. “I have already gathered a great deal of valuable experience from the research project we are collaborating on.”
Along with his academics and professional success, Jimenez Gil has remained involved on campus. In particular, he will be serving as the vice president for UHart’s Rotaract Club this upcoming academic year after serving as the treasurer last year. He will also continue to serve as the treasurer for UHart’s Institute of Transportation Engineers club. He is also an active member of UHart’s American Society of Civil Engineers chapter, UHart’s Engineers Without Borders chapter, and UHart’s Cybersecurity Club.
When asked what advice he would pass on to incoming students, Jimenez Gil says to take advantage of your resources. “You should set clear goals, know what you want to achieve, and search within your network to see who can help you get there,” he says. “It is okay to have questions and not know where to start, but do not be afraid to ask those questions. The faculty and staff in CETA and at UHart are there to help you.” He emphasizes that one of the advantages of being a CETA student is getting the CETA weekly email that is filled with a plethora of information for students—from internships to career events to club updates. He says he actually discovered this internship through one of the weekly emails and appreciates the College’s marketing and communications manager for facilitating these announcements for students like him!
Jimenez Gil also recommends putting the effort into your CETA Design Expo projects. Students get to participate every year except their junior year and should take full advantage of each experience and opportunity to learn, grow, and practice their skills in presentation and communication. “UHart offers many tools for you to succeed,” he says. “Remember to advocate for yourself, and take advantage of the four years ahead.”